Astrology 101 - First Lesson
Beginner Level Astrology Lesson from The Astrology Translator
As a major astrology enthusiast for many years now, I have reached a level of knowledge that classifies me as a “professional” to people who don’t know anything about astrology. As such, often these people ask me questions trying to further understand it. In those moments, I am often told I make a lot of sense to them. That they never understood it before, but now they have a better grasp.
This befuddles me because 1 - I am just regurgitating what I learned from the pros and I am in no way whatsoever a pro at this. (That is not just me being modest, I can promise you, I am definitely not a professional at this.) And 2 - because I have been told by many people over the course of my life that I am not a good teacher.
The latter tracks because I am an Aries and we either know how to do stuff, or we don’t. And we don’t know how to teach the stuff we know, we just know how to do it. And when we explain it one time to someone and they don’t get it, our impatience kicks in and we give up on them. Case in point, teaching my mom anything about her iPhone.
What I have come to realize is I am probably an intermediate level astrology student, which in turn means that I am sometimes successful at being a beginner-level teacher. I am still learning from the pros, and honestly never intend to get so good at it that I become a pro. And, somehow, somewhere along the way, I have suddenly found the one thing I am good at teaching. (Well, except for the time I accidentally taught my friend’s 5 year old kid how to swim, and honestly I still don’t understand how that happened.)
A lot of times, professional astrologers speak about astrology in a way that is really hard to understand. They forget that most people have slim to no understanding of it, and they talk about it at such a high-level that it alienates a lot of people. Now, people can do what I did and drop everything and everyone for long periods of time to spend an exorbitant amount of energy, money, time and brain power trying to figure out and better understand what the pros are saying. However, I assume most people aren’t insane, and have better things to do with their time—unlike me.
As I learned more about astrology and became more passionate about it, I naturally started bringing it up more and more in conversation. And now I am at the point where if I don’t bring it up in conversation, no matter what we are talking about, please assume that I have been possessed by an entity that is not me and call an exorcist. I can, and have, literally found ways to talk about it with strangers in doctor’s office waiting rooms in parts of the country that have the kind of people sitting around who asked me if I “believe in our lord Jesus Christ” because I believe in astrology. As if the two are mutually exclusive.
To make longer my intro to this piece, I will continue to explain my journey and why I am qualified to write this. With it becoming commonplace for me to go into lengthy astrological orations to anyone unfortunate enough to cross my path, sometimes people start asking me questions. Usually friends trying to encourage and support me. Sometimes random strangers who I had started talking to about their birth chart.
And when they would ask me questions, I found myself giving mildly coherent answers. Answers that actually seemed to make sense to the people listening. Sometimes this would lead to more questions. And that would lead to them praising me and showering me with compliments such as, “This is the first time astrology has ever made sense to me,” or “you are really good at explaining that,” or ***“you are so beautiful and smart and knowledgeable and is there anything you don’t know?” (***I live a rich and egocentric fantasy life.)
I started writing about it, giving individual readings and workshops, and making social media content. And, it always seemed to garner more interest and engagement than most of the other stuff I have tried to put out into the world (as someone with Venus in Gemini in my 2nd house, I try A LOT of different interests out. Like more than the normal person. And, I will make that statement make sense later on in this post.)
As such, over time, I kind of decided to dub myself The Astrology Translator (can someone trademark this for me?). Because I am not skilled enough at this to be someone who figures it all out from scratch and is the first to share it with the world. I don’t know how to read the sky (not even sure that is what they do) and know the hard stuff.
However, I do spend a stupid amount of time listening to astrologers do that hard stuff. And, after several years, have figured out how to completely understand what they are saying in their foreign astrology language. They forget that most people don’t know what it means when they say “the Sun is trining Mercury today.”
When they just leave it at that, a large percentage of people don’t get it, and therefore walk away. Because who in their right mind then spends hours and days going down rabbit holes to get a total understanding of every word these people are saying? Maybe one time, and one phrase. But on a daily and weekly basis? For 25 minutes worth of astro readings every week? For at least 30 phrases in those 25 minute readings every week? What kind of psycho spends hours every week making themselves learn what it all means? Me.
Then, through my extensive work at teaching it to myself, I somehow managed to become good at teaching it to others. So, now that I have talked myself up so much that you have expectations of gargantuan proportions, I will attempt to teach you what I consider the basic fundamentals. If you know these things, you will have a much better understanding going forward.
This is meant to be a guide that you can reference whenever you need to. It will be a living document that I will update if I think of other things later on down the line that belong in this first lesson. I will also write a couple more installments with further Astrology 101 lessons in them later. Stay tuned for those! So please come back to this as often as you need. Because I don’t expect you to memorize all of this, especially after one read. Use this as a reference and send it to others as a reference too. And when you come back to it, you may just see a little new information added here and there.
Also, if you read my Pluto in Aquarius post last year, then some of this will look familiar, but I am adding a lot more to it, too. There is a lot to digest below, so I encourage reading this in installments if it feels overwhelming. This is a one-stop shop and you can come back to it.
Lesson One - What is a birth chart?:
If you were to take a snapshot of the sky the minute you were born, and where every planet was at in that moment, that is your birth chart. Your sun sign is the day you were born and the sign that most everyone knows they have (what sign the sun was in—lasts about 30 days for each sign).
But you also have a moon and rising sign. And you have every planet doing something different in your chart than it is in other people’s. Plus, they all fall into different houses that mean something different to each person. This not only gives you a much clearer picture of who you are as a person, but also what the future holds. Your sun sign alone can’t tell you this.
So, the snapshot of the sky shows you where every planet was at the exact time and location you were born, and it all plays a part in your full astrological chart. That is why you need to know the exact time and place you were born to get a full reading. Here is a free calculator you can put that info in to find out all your stuff!
Below is a picture of what my birth chart looks like. This was my “snapshot in the sky” the moment I was born. A visual aid for you to use throughout this.
As you can see from my birth chart above, there are little symbols in some of the slices. Each symbol represents a different planet or point in the sky.
The thing that looks like a boob in Aries, that is the sun. The sun was in Aries the day I was born, so that is my sun sign. Your sun sign is your core identity. It shows how you shine and describes your overall attitude. It influences your motivations and personality.
The symbol that actually looks like a sun in Taurus, that is my “rising” or “ascendant” sign (both rising and ascendant are used interchangeably). Your rising sign is the sign that was on the eastern horizon when you were born. This sign changes every two hours. It is the direction your life is headed. That is what you are ascending and growing to be. For me, I start to take on more of those Taurus qualities as I get older.
When reading your horoscope, you should actually use your rising sign. Because your rising sign is the direction your life is headed, so that is what the future holds, and a horoscope is about your future.
“Your rising sign represents your entire life experience, including the themes, cycles, and patterns that will show up in your life over and over again. It functions as the instruction manual for your reality, thus informing not just the way others see you but also the way you perceive others.” - The Cut
Your rising sign starts your whole chart. It is always in the 1st house (more on houses later). Every sign that comes after that sign will fall in order based on your rising sign being in the 1st house. If you look at my chart above, you see Taurus is in 1st house. Since Gemini season comes after Taurus season, that puts Gemini in my 2nd house. Cancer in 3rd. Leo in 4th. So on and so forth. If you have a Virgo rising, that would put Virgo in 1st, Libra in 2nd, Scorpio in 3rd, and so on.
Now, you see that little moon symbol in Cancer in my chart above? That is my moon sign. Where the moon was when I was born. The moon changes signs every 2.5 days. Your moon sign is your inner, hidden, shadow self. It is your connection to your family, especially your birth mother. Your emotional side that you don’t wear out front for everyone to see.
“In astrology, the moon symbolizes emotions, intuition, and the feminine aspects of life. It's associated with the unconscious, nurturing, and the ability to relate to others. The moon is often contrasted with the sun, which represents masculinity and the positive principle.” - British Vogue
We often call these 3 signs your “Big 3”. All the other little symbols represent where the different planets or particular points in the sky were when I was born (more on that in a later installment). All of these play a part in your chart, and even the degree they were at play a part, too. I don’t understand degrees yet, and it is more advanced, so I won’t get into that in my lessons. But, since the degrees make a difference, just know that this aspect is what can make twins different. Which is a counterpoint to astrology naysayers.
Lesson Two - The Planets:
Each planet is in charge of something. They all have their own personality. And each astrological sign is ruled by a planet.
Astrology was founded before all of the planets were discovered (this is known as traditional astrology). As such, there are different schools of thought about which planets rule which signs. Pluto was discovered in 1930, has recently been decommissioned to a “dwarf planet”, and many do not consider it a planet anymore. Different astrologers interpret this differently. I like to use an interpretation where Pluto still counts (and I am fascinated with its transits, as you can read here). I kind of mix old and new astrology (new is known as modern astrology). As such, here is what I use:
Mars is the planet of energy, action, battle, courage, assertiveness, anger, aggression, war, conflict, passion, leadership, bravery, desire, ambition, pioneering, fiery, sex drive, determination, perseverance, strength, sports, and has a masculine energy. (If you need to distill it to a few words to learn it, I would give it: action, courage, pioneering, fiery.)
Mars rules the sign Aries in modern astrology, and Aries and Scorpio in traditional astrology. (In my version of astrology I recognize Mars as one of two rulers of Scorpio). If you know anything about Aries’, we really do embody those Mars principles. I am an aggressive, courageous, Battle-Goddess. It is my belief that Scorpios have these abilities, but don’t wear them on their sleeves the way us Aries’ do.
Venus is the planet of love, relationships, art, beauty, romance, money, pleasure, attraction, values, women, femmes, queer peeps, justice, social unity, connection, balance, equality, luxury, charm, aesthetics, and feminine energy. (key words: love, relationships/connection, beauty)
Venus rules both Taurus and Libra (in both traditional and modern). Libras are very relationship-oriented and like for things to be in harmony and really appreciate art and beauty. Taurus’ are very particular about their homes being aesthetically pleasing and beautiful to them, and they tend to appreciate the finer, luxurious, charming things in life (my Taurus Rising can attest to this. Look at my credit card bill).
Mercury is the planet of communication, learning, patterns of thinking (non-emotional), intellect, rationality, mentality, curiosity, adaptability, witty, expressive, proficient orator, flexible, responsive, sharp, interested in many things, and is usually seen as neutral gender—not masculine or feminine (because it rules Gemini which is a masc sign and Virgo which is a femme sign). (key words: communication, intellect, rationality, curiosity)
Mercury rules both Gemini and Virgo. Both of these signs absolutely love learning, teaching, and discussing things. They love dispersing the large amounts of information they rack up in intellectual discussions.
The Moon is not a planet, but it counts as one in astrology. It represents emotions, feelings, family connections, intuition, memory, moods, femininity, connections to our mothers, nurturing, and security. (key words: emotions, family, moods, feelings.).
The Moon rules Cancer. Cancer’s are known for their sensitivity, strong family connections, and their ability to be in touch with their emotions.
The Sun is also not a planet but we use it as one. It represents self-expression, sense of self, pride, ego, stable, authority, life-force, creativity, generous spirit, playfulness, vitality, luminosity, will-power, radiant, dominating, individualistic, and self-reliant. Thinking of rays of sunshine that really just give a strong life-force to all of us. (key words: self-expression, vitality, authority, radiance.)
The sign it represents is Leo, as Leo’s are thought to be very strong, creative, forces of nature. They have authority and pride. The Sun never goes retrograde, it is stable, loyal, and strong like a Leo.
Pluto still counts as a planet in a lot of astrologers’ minds; mine included. It is the planet of transformation, renewal, destruction, the underworld, death, wealth, sexuality, intensity, psychological depths, power, and secrets. It clears deadweight, brings hidden truths to the surface, and can cause some major shifts and transformations. (key words: transformation, death/renewal, secrets/hidden truths)
In modern astrology it rules Scorpio. Some people just use Mars for Scorpio. Others just use Pluto for Scorpio. While some say Scorpio is ruled by both. I say both. Scorpios are very complex people. Their well runs intensely deep and there is much beneath the surface that most of us don’t see. They hold all the world’s secrets and see all of the hidden parts of the world and underworld that most of us miss. They can be very transformational people in many ways. This is the Pluto influence. The Mars influence is their passion and intensity (and also yes that conflict and battle does come up too. My mom is a Scorpio and I can tell you that it definitely does. As it also does with my Aries. What I am saying is, we fight a lot. She does a sneak attack on me with her Scorpio scorpion tail, and I lash out in total rage like an Aries ram.)
Jupiter is the planet of luck, abundance, prosperity, positive thinking, growth optimism, good fortune, faith, spirituality, higher self, wisdom, travel, and expansion. (key words: abundance, good fortune, wisdom, expansion).
Sagittarius is ruled by this planet. Sag’s are known for their positive and abundant cheerful natures. They are known for being huge explorers and travelers. The expansion and growth is represented in their insatiable need to just constantly be exploring all the new terrain. I have found Sag’s to be just larger-than-life bursts of energy and cheerfulness in the room. Hedonistic, happy, party-animals for sure! (In traditional astrology, before Neptune was discovered, Jupiter was thought to rule Pisces, as well. However, in my version of astrology, I see Neptune—the modern ruler of Pisces— to be much more accurate. So I really only think of Neptune as ruling Pisces, and Jupiter as ruling Sag.)
Saturn is the planet of rules, restrictions, discipline, authority, boundaries, responsibility, long-term plans and achievements, hard work, ambition, independence, seriousness, concentration, permanence, productivity, and structures. It is the most distant and cold of the planets. (key words: structures, responsibility, discipline, boundaries).
Saturn rules both Capricorn and Aquarius peeps in traditional astrology. This is not to say Cap’s and Aq’s are cold and distant. However, I would say upon first meeting these signs they can come across more distant than other signs on the surface. They seem composed, structured, and reserved. Usually, when getting to know them better, you find they open up and aren’t what they could initially appear. These signs are very responsible and structured. They like a set of rules to adhere to. Not necessarily society’s rules, but their own set of rules, structures, and boundaries. Especially Aquarians. They make up their own set of rules to adhere to, and then they are gonna do what they are gonna do. This is because in modern astrology Aq’s are ruled by Uranus (instead of Saturn). As such, I think of Aq’s as being ruled by both Saturn and Uranus. Whereas Cap’s tend to follow a more traditional structure of values and rules that are set out for them (since their only ruler is Saturn).
Uranus is the planet of innovation, radical change, experimentation, technology, liberation, freedom, humanitarianism, rebellion, resourcefulness, imaginativeness, destroying established structures, idiosyncrasies, and unpredictability. (key words: innovation, rebellion, freedom, radical change).
This planet is the modern ruler of Aquarius, and it is where the Aquarius will differ from the Capricorn. So Aquarians like the rules and boundaries and structures of Saturn, but then they like to innovate and experiment with the rules and structures, then they rebel and create their own set of rules to follow. They are resourceful and imaginative. They love learning the rules and then breaking them and then setting their own codes to live by. Aq’s are a weird combo of simultaneously loving rules and hating them. Saturn loves rules. Uranus rewrites them.
Neptune is the planet of inspiration, intuition, spirituality, compassion, dreams, fantasy, artistry, romance, idealism, subconscious, creativity, magic, and illusion. It is very celestial, vague, dark, hidden. It makes me think of like celestial goddess mermaids. It is kind of like Venus’ grandma. (key words: intuition, spirituality, subconscious, dreams).
So it definitely rules Pisces. I think of Pisces like mermaids, too. They are all up in their imaginations and fantasies and dreams. Idealistic, romantic, artsy, spiritual, and intuitive. However, they also go really super deep and see beyond the status quo and into the darkness that most don’t see. They are a lot like Scorpio’s this way. Very deep and intense signs. But less in a “dark, tortured, Plutonian, underworld way”, and more in an “old person who has lived a full life and is starting to see the great beyond and white light beyond the veil” way…
Did you notice how as my descriptions went from beginning to end that each one became a bit more complex? The order of the zodiac can kind of explain how “complex” a sign is.
The zodiacal season starts off with Aries. As such, you can think of us Aries’ as the newborn babies of the zodiac. What you see is what you get. We make our needs very well known. Our intentions are pure. We are impatient and temperamental. And we have zero shame over having any and all of those qualities. Kind of like a little baby. As you move through each sign, it becomes a bit “older” and more complex or complicated. By the time you get to the Pisces’ peeps they are like the wise old people who have seen it all and are privy to what happens in the heavens and beyond.
Also, in terms of gender, it kind of sounds a bit heteronormative and very binary, but it is set up where: The feminine ones are the negative polarity signs, also called passive, yin, receptive, or feminine signs. They are the six even-numbered signs of the zodiac: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces. The femmes are all water and earth signs (which I will talk about in the next installment).
The masculine ones are positive polarity signs, also called active, yang, expressive, or masculine signs, and are the six odd-numbered signs of the zodiac: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius. The mascs are all fire and air signs (which I will talk about in the next installment).
Lastly, you have every single planet in your chart, even if it isn’t your sign’s ruling planet. Your ruling planet is determined by your rising sign.
Now, I think the ruling planet of your sun sign is a huge influence, too. As an Aries Sun, I very much consider Mars a ruling planet for me. But, as a Taurus Rising, which is my most important placement, my main ruling planet is Venus.
If you are a Capricorn Sun and Pisces Rising, your ruling planet is Neptune (Pisces), and you are also heavily influenced by Saturn (Capricorn). The rest of the planets are doing other stuff in your chart, and I’ll talk more about that in another installment.
Lesson Three - The Signs:
So, if you understand what each planet is about, and you see the corresponding sign it rules, then that can also give you an idea of the traits of the signs. Signs share a lot of traits with their ruling planet.
Aries - Confident, Initiators/Starters, Impatient, Courageous, Spontaneous, Independent, Passionate, Bold, Brave, Ambitious, Impulsive, Determined, Fiery, High Energy, Natural Leaders, Selfish, Take Initiative/Action, Competitive, Adventurous, Authentic, Honest, Short-tempered, Dynamic, Assertive. (Ruled by Mars - see how these are like the traits of Mars)
Taurus - Loyal, Dependable, Practical, Steady, Sensual, Romantic, Loves Luxury, Materialistic, Stubborn, Patient, Artistic, Relaxed, Lazy, Determined, Jealous, Grounded, Loves Comfort, Loves Beauty, Wants Physical Pleasures (touch and taste), Prioritizes Commitment/Connection, Focused on Wealth, Protective. (Ruled by Venus)
Gemini - Curious, Communicative, Outgoing, Intellectual, Clever, Charming, Social, Flexible, Adaptable, Impulsive, Inquisitive, Expressive, Imaginative, Indecisive, Flighty, Versatile, Playful, Quick, Lots of Interests, Anxious, Rational, Logical, Not Driven by Emotions, Flirtatious. (Ruled by Mercury).
Cancer - Loyal, Family-oriented, Creative, Intuitive, Pessimistic, Protective, Affectionate, Sensitive, Tender, Caring, Emotional, Imaginative, Moody, Reserved, Nurturing, Devoted, Spiteful, Defends Family and Friends Fiercely, Attentive, Thoughtful, Resentful, Good Listeners, Value Security, Happy at Home. (Ruled by the Moon).
Leo - Generous, Creative, Confident, Leader, Entertainer, Vivacious, Honest, Egotistical, Warm, Stubborn, Regal, Huge Heart, Charismatic, Domineering, Ambitious, Comfortable being the center of attention, Romantic, Demanding, Zest for Life, Loyal, Adventurous, Social Butterfly. (Ruled by the Sun)
Virgo - Detail-oriented, Observant, Hardworking, Helpful, Overthinker, Analytical, Modest, Patient, Critical, Independent, Logical, Precise, Picky, Reliable, Grounded, Creative, Sensitive, Intellectual, Focused, Meticulous, Solution-oriented, Organized, Skeptical. (Ruled by Mercury)
Libra - Diplomacy, Charming, Clever, Peacemakers, Justice-oriented, Fair, Indecisive, Artistic, Courteous, Idealistic, Romantic, Conflict-averse, Balanced, Harmonious, Social, Compassionate, Cooperative, Good listeners, Intellectual, Superficial, Easy-going, Relationship-oriented, People-oriented, Gullible. (Ruled by Venus)
Scorpio - Determined, Intuitive, Creative, Emotional, Deep, Loyal, Secretive, Ambitious, Obsessive, Passionate, Strategic, Jealous, Strong Emotional Intimacy, Methodical, Committed, Resentful, Mysterious, Problem-solvers, Stubborn, Intriguing, Devotion. (Ruled by Pluto - and Mars)
Sagittarius - Optimistic, Honest, Adventurous, Hedonistic, Curious, Blunt, Independent, Flirtatious, Impatient, Funny, Idealistic, Friendly, Energetic, Philosophical, Spontaneous, Generous, Ambitious, Reckless, Carefree, Compassionate, Outgoing, Lively, Wise, Traveler, Open-minded. (Ruled by Jupiter)
Capricorn - Disciplined, Ambitious, Practical, Critical, Loyal, Determined, Hardworking, Pessimistic, Honest, Organized, Workaholic, Responsible, Persistent, Serious, Reserved, Reputation-oriented, Trailblazer (especially in career), Wise, Helpful, Diligent, Focused, Materialistic, Good w/ Money. (Ruled by Saturn)
Aquarius - Independent, Innovative, Intellectual, Rebellious, Humanitarian, Aloof, Open-minded, Technological, Unpredictable, Analytical, Easy-going, Altruistic, Assertive, Detached, Idealistic, Unique, Stubborn, Logical, Spirited, Unconventional, Diverse Problem Solver, Adaptability. (Ruled by Uranus - and Saturn)
Pisces - Romantic, Intuitive, Empathetic, Generous, Creative, Imaginative, Escapist, Spiritual, Dreamer, Adaptable, Compassionate, Emotional, Wise, Sensitive, Supportive, Emotionally Intelligent, Lazy, Trusting, People-smart, Avoidant, Patient, Easy-going, Unrealistic Expectations, Loving, Kind. (Ruled by Neptune)
As you can see, there is overlap in some traits with some signs. But, by and large, when you put all of the traits in one sign together, it paints a unique picture of that sign.
I am not here to build a case proving the legitimacy of astrology. That is a whole other article. If you stick with me on the further lessons, you will learn the nuances that make one Capricorn different from another. And that they all have their strengths and weaknesses and not everyone has the same ones. How rather, these traits tend to drive their actions, rather than be a whole picture of who they are entirely.
Not every Gemini is a flake. Not every Taurus is materialistic. However, if you go beneath what those words mean, and take out any negative connotations, you can find that the base notes of the words, and their meanings, do tend to fit those signs. Such as flake - which at its core is about someone who doesn’t like to be tied down in the same thing all the time and Gemini as a sign loves variety and keeping things different and interesting. Or materialistic - which at its core can just be about someone who appreciates material comforts, which I know my Taurus peeps love us a good meal while snuggled under a blanket.
And, depending on the person, these traits can come out as weaknesses, or they may be someone who works hard to overcome their weaknesses. There are healed and unhealed versions of every sign. There are people who work on themselves and don’t. There are people with tough upbringings that may push them towards more of their negative traits, or causes them to go the opposite direction to rise above towards their positive traits.
Plus, on any given day, if it is a bad day, we could fall into more of our negative traits. As an Aries, I am inherently impatient and short-tempered, and I work on tamping those down all the time. But, when I’m not at my best, it’s easy to fall into those traits if my guard is down.
And also it is important to understand that characteristics of signs aren’t just about the people who have those signs, but about the signs themselves. How the planets are interacting in these signs (up in the sky) from day to day, and how that impacts the whole collective, and not just the individual.
So, you may be a Pisces who says “hey, I am not lazy and escapist.” But the sign itself has those characteristics, and when Saturn enters Pisces, it says “hey, I am a disciplined workaholic who is very suspicious and now I am feeling a real tug of war with those traits because I am in Pisces where things get blurry and relaxed.”
And, if you are a Pisces who says, “Hey, I am not lazy and escapist,” let me ask you—do you have to work hard to fight against those characteristics though? Or are you being real with yourself? Or do you have a Capricorn Moon and a Virgo Rising that counteract those traits and override them a bit? Did you have an upbringing that counteracted and over-rode those traits? My point is, it’s good not to get too caught up in taking it personally, and rather looking at it as a map to navigate with a bigger picture.
This goes for any sign who reads “their” description and thinks “I’m not that certain trait.” The questions I asked above pertain across all the signs and their traits.
If you are removing yourself from the equation and looking at the traits of the signs and planets themselves, then you can better figure out what it means when different planets go into different signs. How it impacts the collective in general.
For example, the planet Mars (which is about being aggressive and direct) moving through the sign of Cancer (which is sensitive and more passive) is a tough energy for the collective to go through. It isn’t necessarily saying that people who are Cancers are just sensitive. Because when Jupiter moves into Cancer, boy oh boy is that a more positive and wonderful energy. The diverse characteristics of each bring out different things in each other.
These different characteristics coming together in the sky create a unique energy that impacts us all. And it plays out differently in each chart, depending on what house those are in for you. (Next section is about houses, don’t worry. And in a future post I will talk more about how planets react in each sign).
So please look at this as a training manual at its most basic level. I’m not here to take on challenges of the nuances that make up each individual person. People’s lived experiences play a huge factor in how their astrological traits play out. Also things such as the degree the planet was at in the sky when you were born, where the other planets were at that moment, the angles the planets were making to each other, and so many other factors.
However, those nuanced factors are what makes learning astrology feel overwhelming and complicated, so I am not getting into them in my 101 training. The nuances are very real and legit, and make a huge difference. AND they are not part of the basic, easy to learn, training that I promised.
Lesson Four - The Houses:
People seem to have the most trouble with this concept, but once you understand the signs, it is pretty easy to understand the houses.
Each house is ruled by a sign (i.e. the 5th house is ruled by the 5th sign in the zodiac-Leo).
And the traits of that house are a lot like the traits of the sign (and we just learned the traits of the signs).
And since we already learned that the signs are a lot like the characteristics of the planets that rule them (in the planet section), then it is easy to see how the characteristics of a planet, are like the traits of its sign, and are like the traits of its house.
So, if you learn just what each planet or sign represents, then you kind of already understand what each house is about to an extent.
Additionally, each house builds upon each other like stages of life. And that is a helpful way to understand and remember them, too.
1st house - Self - the self/sense of self, your body and relationship to it, self-awareness, your personality, identity, self-image, self-expression, appearance, beginnings, approach to life. (Aries Rules the 1st house. Mars rules Aries)
The first house is the beginning. Aries is the first sign in the zodiac. Aries season is the start of spring. It is birth/new beginning. It is revelation. Showing yourself to the world. Aries are authentic and very self-expressive.
**This is like the “newborn baby” of the zodiac (really about 0-3 years here). Newborn babies are concerned with themselves and their needs. It is the basic fundamental sense of your own individual self. What you see is what you get. They are authentically who they are. Very focused on the “me”. Self starter and being true to yourself is what Aries and the 1st house are all about.
2nd house - Value - assets, resources, livelihood, money, energy, self-esteem, values, valuables, possessions and attitude towards then, material security, priorities, habits, work ethic. (Taurus rules the 2nd house. Venus rules Taurus.)
Taurus is second sign in zodiac, it rules the second house, and you can start to see where Taurus/Venus traits line up with 2nd house traits. Second house “material security” = Loves Luxury/Materialistic Taurus trait. Second house how you are using your “energy” = relaxed and sometimes lazy Taurus trait. Second house “money/wealth” = focused on wealth Taurus trait.
**When you are around the ages of 3-6 or so you love your toys, you are developing a sense of the things you have, your possessions, your skills, you are learning how to use your energy, starting to form some habits. You are learning what foods you enjoy. Food is a resource. Taurus’ love food/to taste (like a lot more than most people). You are becoming more conscious about yourself and your chief concerns tend to be things in the material world.
3rd house - Communication - communication, learning, thinking, speaking and writing style, mind set, interactions with siblings, daily rituals, extended family, technology, the news and journalism, any form of communication, neighbors, early education, socialilizing and interests. (Gemini rules the 3rd house. Mercury rules Gemini.)
Gemini’s are social creatures who love to talk and learn and make jokes with their friends. They are all about learning, thinking, speaking, and communicating. They have a multitude of interests.
**In this 3rd house stage of life it could be considered like ages 7-10—you are becoming more more social, observing the people around you, really in a learning peak, using your mind and verbal skills a lot, speaking up about your ideas, and getting more involved in relationships with your community and siblings. You are trying out different interests and figuring out what they are. It is a peak age for being out and social and playing with siblings and neighbors.
4th house - Home & Family - home, where you live, house, neighborhood, family, ancestors, roots, heritage, foundation, psychological foundation, subconscious patterns, private life, emotions, self-care. (Cancer rules the 4th house. The Moon rules Cancer.)
Cancer’s are very family-oriented, love security, are in touch with their emotions. Represented by the crab which is protective of its home and loved ones and lives a private life in its shell. The Moon rules this and we learned the moon has a lot to do with family, ancestors, emotions, and femininity.
**In this stage of the chart it can be associated with your pre-teen and puberty years. You start to learn what it is to feel secure (or not secure) in your home and can start to define that a lot more. You are really starting to know who you are and where you come from and your place in your family. You are beginning to come into, or oppose, the way your family does things. You are building the foundation for your life path. And, with puberty, your body is starting to develop what it needs to someday start a family. It is even an age where one might start babysitting.
5th house - Pleasure - self-expression, creativity, entertainment, recreations, pleasures, romance (sex and intimacy, as well), procreation, children, play, hobbies, joy, fame, drama, social activity. (Leo rules the 5th house. The Sun rules Leo.)
Leo’s as we know are life of the party, enjoy the fun and pleasurable things in life, are romantic, creative, social butterflies, joyful, and can bring the drama. They have a zest for life and are vivacious, like the bright, shining Sun that rules them and this house. This is the house where all that fun stuff is. Children are here too because when you think of play, recreation, and joy - there is a lot that has to do with children there. And pleasures and romance lead to that procreation, yo!
**This phase of the chart is like our teenage years. Where we get really expressive and really bring the drama. Our hormones take over and we really get into that romance and love affairs. Everything is big and extra, and we want to be socializing with our friends all the time. We are really defining and getting into our specific hobbies and interests.
6th house - Work & Health - work/employment, health, daily life and tasks, chores, self-improvement, service, daily routines, work routines, health and nutrition, duty, fitness, analytics, organization, pets. (Virgo rules the 6th house. Mercury rules Virgo).
Virgo as a sign is responsible, organized, detail-oriented, observant, hardworking, independent, logical, reliable, and skeptical. Mercury as a planet is observant, logical, skeptical, learning how to do it, patterns of thinking (non-emotional), sharp, using intellect.
**This is early adulthood (early to mid 20’s), where you are needing to become these things. This stage is at a point where you are entering the job market, becoming responsible with how you earn your money, manage your health, manage your day to day life. Being responsible for your tasks and chores. Moving out on your own and being responsible for organizing your life and managing the adult tasks. Maybe you are trying to figure out how to gain employment from the previous stage of life’s specific hobbies and interests. You are needing to learn some stability and discipline. There is an element of self-improvement here. (I am not sure why pets is lumped in with this one. Maybe taking care of them is part of the tasks, chores, daily life)
7th house - Partnerships - long-term partnerships and relationships (romantic, friendship, or business), commitment, marriage, making things official, alliances, legal matters, contracts, sharing. (Libra rules the 7th house. Venus rules Virgo.)
Libra is relationship-oriented, peacemakers, cooperative, committed, people-oriented, social, and romantic. Venus is the planet of love, relationships, romance, attraction, social unity, and connection. The 7th house is the house of important, committed, long-term relationships.
**This can be related to your mid/late 20’s to early 30’s. You’ve worked on developing yourself and your career. You have created a basis for your life, and you may be ready to settle down with a romantic partner. Relationships tend to get more serious and committed at this stage in life. You want someone to share all the life things with. It could also be a stage in life when you are entering business partnerships and long-term commitments. And you are focused on building, honing, preserving, and cherishing the more long-term relationships in your life.
8th house - Transformation - renewal, death/rebirth, sex, taboos, transformation, mental health, intensely felt experiences, deep interactions, growth and change, merging, intimacy, shared finances, debts, other people’s resources, property, joint ventures, mystery. (Scorpio rules the 8th house. Pluto and Mars rule Scorpio)
The 8th house is the most complicated house. It is also a transitional and uncomfortable house where growth is required. The way that Scorpio’s traits are about intensely deep emotional connections, and can be secretive and mysterious, is like this house. Scorpios are transformative because they penetrate beneath the surface and ask you to confront the deep dark things hidden there and grow from it. They are committed, methodical, problem-solvers. And the combination of Pluto and Mars’ traits find their own unique way to add up to all of the above. Thusly, Scorpio is ruling this house. The 8th House's themes pertain to engaging with another person—deep and intimate connections, finances (especially shared finances), psychology, and in-depth interactions.
**The 8th house is like early to mid 30’s (or even late 20’s) where we are really forced to confront and experience intense events that are good for growth. Big transitions and transformations at this stage in life. A stage where you experience a death of your younger self and a rebirth of a newly discovered self that has been through some shit and has seen some things. You start to encounter more depth in your relationships and marriage. You maybe have joint finances with your partner, home loans, credit cards, more taxes, more financial responsibility that is tied up with other people—whether it be a spouse, business partner, lender, the government, etc. You may begin to inherit assets from people who have passed away. Maybe becoming very sexually comfortable and possibly procreating.
9th house - Higher Learning - travel, higher education, deeper and new perspectives, the search for meaning, mind expansion, philosophy, astrology, journeying, religion, spirituality, wisdom, law, cross cultural relations. (Sagittarius rules the 8th house. Jupiter rules Sagittarius)
Sagittarius is a sign that is known for being philosophical, a traveler, wise, optimistic, honest, adventurous, independent. Jupiter is known for prosperity, growth, optimism, faith, spirituality, higher self, wisdom, travel, and expansion. And the 9th house deals with exploration and transcending to a new level and opening your mind to things beyond your limited experience thus far.
**This is like mid to late 30’s/early 40’s. A time period where we are looking for, trying to find, and touching upon the true meaning of life. Really questioning the beliefs and values we grew up with. Letting the lessons of the 8th house that rocked our world then open our mind to new perspectives in the 9th house. Being more philosophical, and taking what we’ve learned so far to solidify a values system that we want to pass on to our kids or younger peeps. An age where we travel more and expand our knowledge and beliefs.
10th house - Reputation - career, public life, recognition, reputation, achievement in the world, authorities, long term goals, purpose. (Capricorn rules the 10th house. Saturn rules Capricorn.)
Capricorns are disciplined, diligent, ambitious, hard workers who are using their skills to build a solid long-term life. They value their careers and their reputations. They find purpose in achieving these goals. Saturn of course lends the discipline, structure, responsibility, and stamina to all of these long term goals. And there you have the 10th house.
**Early to late 40’s. At this stage, you're focused on your career and have maybe reached a pinnacle with it. You’ve established a reputation for yourself and you’ve worked hard to get here. You’ve taken lessons from your past and solidified who you are, there probably won’t be many more “big” changes in your personality and reputation from here on out. Everything you’ve worked for is culminating in a final stage of who you really are, especially in career. You’re reaching the end of creating “yourself”. You can enjoy the hard work and everything you’ve been building and have established and accomplished. You are in your power and authority here.
11th house - Friendships - community, activism, clubs, group involvement, collective endeavors, friendships, volunteering, global awareness, humanitarian ideals, the future, hopes and wishes. (Aquarius rules the 11th house. Uranus and Saturn rule Aquarius)
Aquarius is a sign of altruism, humanitarianism, idealism, open-mindedness, and being technologically-oriented. Uranus’ technological, idealistic, and humanitarian traits combined with Saturn’s structures and authority give way to the 11th house characteristics.
**50’s, 60’s, 70’s - When you are growing out of being so focused on your career. You’re leaving a period of being so focused on your own well-being and thinking more about the collective’s well-being, your role in the community, activism, and global awareness. Thinking about how to leave your legacy. Thinking about the future in terms of the community and not just yourself and immediate family. You also may be getting back to a place in your life where you can put more effort and attention into your friendships and groups you belong to. When you were busy with your career, building a family, getting into a serious relationship, and earning money—you probably couldn’t be as involved in collective endeavors, volunteering, hanging out with groups of friends, and all the humanitarian stuff. Now that you are older and wiser, your views become larger and you are able to place more focus on the world out there. And you probably have some more time and freedom to kick back with other friends who also have some more time now.
12th house - Subconscious - subconscious, self-transcendence, hidden life, sorrow, loss, service to humanity, self-sacrifice, after life, intuition, dreams, ascension, higher spirituality, solitude, institutions, seeing beneath the surface and things others don’t see, behind-the-scenes, endings, healing, closure, karma. (Pisces rules the 12th house. Neptune rules Pisces).
Pisces is intuitive, empathetic, generous, imaginative, escapist, spiritual, dreamer, wise, supportive, lazy (or just tired since this is the stage of being really old LOL), patient and loving. Neptune is is the celestial planet of inspiration, intuition, spirituality, compassion, dreams, fantasy, subconscious, and illusion. Coming together they create the 12th house of ascension.
**This represents our final stages of life when we are getting ready to transcend out of our physical bodies and our souls move beyond the veil. There is mysticism and magic here. There is solitude here. There is a lot of being alone, tired, and contemplative here. You are ready to retreat from the world. It is a very spiritual experience. You are aware of karma, endings, loss, healing, things that are hidden beneath the surface that others don’t see. You are experiencing closure, transcendence, and a supreme self-awareness. It is also the darkest house in terms of light. This means you are going to see things in the world that are wrong. The institutions that imprison people, the closets of life that are crowded and need to be cleaned out. You see it all and contemplate it all. (When current astrological transits happen in your 12th house, it is deep and profound and requires you to spend time in solitude to understand it.)
***Please note that I do not endorse the idea that you should have accomplished these goal posts by the ages stated above. That is just generic/general life-stage ages that are associated with each house—to give you a better understanding. As a 41-year old who is not married/divorced, filed for bankruptcy at 29, is at the beginning of a new career/disabled and can’t actually work, has no kids, is living with my mom, has travelled more than most of the ppl I’m close to, and is waaaaayyy into 12th house/end of life shizz—I’m clearly all over the place. Please use these ages as generalizations that are a tool to give a better understanding, and not judgments of where in life you should be.***
Lesson 5 - Houses and Horoscopes:
Houses really make a big difference in your personal horoscope. If Mars is Retrograding through Cancer, that means something general about those energies coming together for us as a collective. And for you personally, you can get more specific with it if you look at the specific house that is in for you, and that is how you know what area of your life it impacts. Because not everyone has Cancer in the same house as you. It depends on when and where you were born as to where it was in the sky.
In this example, you look at what house Cancer (the sign) is in for you (not what sign Mars was in when you were born.) When a planet moves through a sign, you look at what house the sign is in for you in your chart. Then you look at all of the traits of each.
So, with this Mars Rx Cancer example:
Mars = aggressive, angry, and direct (plus all the other things Mars represents, but I am shortening all these to make it a bit more digestible).
Retrograde = moving backwards and therefore causing friction and putting a lot of attention on that area of life.
Cancer = sensitive, moody, and passive (plus the other Cancer traits).
On the whole, as a collective, in general, we are going to feel a friction and see a lot of attention going towards things (retrograde) really feeling passive/ (Cancer) aggressive (Mars), and pushing really hard to initiate and be direct (Mars) but it will rub things the wrong way and spike sensitivities (Cancer). Just in general for everyone.
For you personally, we look at the house this is happening in to see how it impacts you individually. If Cancer is in your 3rd house, then that energy I just described will specifically be happening for you in the 3rd house characteristics of your life - your communications, relationships with siblings or close friends who are like siblings, in your neighborhood, in your daily routines and rituals.
To be even more specific with the Cancer 3rd house example - Mars could cause some conflict and aggression that is really coming up and forcing your attention in your communications with a sibling/close friend, or someone who is irritating your daily routine, and you may find yourself having a hard time being as direct and assertive as you want to be, and maybe being overly sensitive to the communicating that is going on.
For example, for the past couple of months, when Mars was retrograde in Cancer in my 3rd house, I was getting very frustrated because I felt like my daily routines kept getting messed up and irritated by interference from my “neighbor” aka roommate (aka my mom, who often acts like a sibling—lol). And I was really struggling to communicate it properly to her. I was sometimes being aggressive. Sometimes being passive. Struggling to communicate it directly. She was struggling to understand it directly. It was causing a lot of tension and fights. We were both sensitive about these rough communications.
That is really where these houses come into play. When looking ahead at upcoming transits, looking at the houses they play out in for you will make the difference. If you take the traits of the planet, combine it with the traits of the sign, figure out if those things play nice together or not, and then take all of that info and apply it to the characteristics of the house it is in for you.
Everyone will have Cancer in a different house. Remember earlier when I said your rising sign is your first house, and then every sign lines up from there? Whatever house Cancer is in for you is how it plays out for you. And that never changes. Each sign will always be in the same house in your chart. Because your chart is a snapshot of the sky the moment you were born. As time goes on, it all continuously moves. But your chart is your chart.
Your birth chart is a fixed document. It doesn’t change. And it gives you the blueprint of your personality.
Your horoscope is taking your birth chart and comparing it to what is currently happening in the sky.
You may have been born when Venus was in Pisces. But Venus kept moving around and around after you were born. Venus in Pisces in your birth chart/at the time you were born says something about your personality. And, in daily life, when Venus moves into new signs that says something about your horoscope at that time.
Let’s say Venus moves into Capricorn. Even though you had Venus in Pisces when you were born, that doesn’t matter for your current horoscope. You need to look at what house Capricorn is in for you in your birth chart. Then figure out what the energy of Venus is, combined with the energy of Capricorn, combined with specifics of the house Capricorn is in for you, personally. Then that shows you what is upcoming for you during the dates Venus is in Capricorn. And we do this with all of the planets movements.
Scenario:
One more specific example to really drive the point home. Ex - Venus moving into Gemini in 2nd house:
Venus = love, beauty, relationships, connection, creativity, luxury, money, aesthetics, art, pleasure, attraction
Gemini = communication, learning, variety, flighty, intellectual, non-committal, interested in lots of topics
2nd house = money, resources, energy, time, spending, earning
With this, you can find yourself really loving and enjoying and connecting to a very large variety of ways to luxuriously spend your money and energy. And you may be jumping from hobby to hobby, and side hustle to side hustle, unable to commit to the million different interests and ideas for earning money too. You’re spreading yourself thin amongst the huge variety of things you are interested in and resources you have (and want).
You may find yourself going down a million rabbit holes of different news stories that interest you. And trying to learn about all of them. And then share about all of them. And connect with people you are in relationships with about all of them. The constant cycle of teaching and learning, but spread amongst an obnoxiously large variety of things that interest you.
And that my friends, is what I meant earlier about the fact that I was born with Venus in Gemini in my 2nd house in my fixed birth chart. The above is how I live my life all the time. Ugh.
I write a blog about a million different topics and cannot chose one. I try to earn money with the paid subscriptions. I run a YouTube channel where I do Celtic reiki and I hope to earn money on that. I am trying to talk my friend into doing an astrology podcast with me. I am writing a book and each chapter is an essay about something different because I can’t focus on one subject for a whole book.
I spend a million hours going down rabbit holes learning about all these things. Then I spend a million dollars buying things to support these side hustles and interests. Then I spend a million hours writing and talking about them to share them with and teach them to other people (3/6 - I have been working on this post on and off for the past 7 hours at this point. 3/7 - Update - and now on my 4th hour of my 2nd day working on it.)
At one point I was an actress. Another point I was a stand-up comic. Now I am writer, reiki practitioner, tarot reader, astrology translator, content creator, wannabe podcast host. I’ve worked in medical billing, a sex toy store, Applebees, a brain game store, a dentist office, a tax firm, a vacuum company, a nursing home (which I also used to write a blog about), and was a theater major.
Venus—my creativity. In Gemini—lots of interests. In my 2nd house—money and resources = serious attention span issues and lots of variety with my creativity and money (spending and earning).
***Distinction***
When I was born, Venus was in Gemini. Therefore, I live my whole life with this personality trait of that Venus in Gemini in 2nd house energy described in above scenario.
In my daily horoscope, when Venus moves into Gemini throughout my life, that same energy goes overboard even more, as detailed in above scenario.
Someone else would be different in a variety of ways:
If someone was born with Gemini in 2nd house, but Venus was in a different sign when they were born, the above scenario would not be their fixed personality. But this same energy would come out temporarily in their horoscope during that current transit when Venus moves into Gemini for them temporarily.
If someone was born with Venus in Gemini, but in the 4th house (or any other house besides 2nd), the above scenario would not be their personality. And the current temporary transit would play out differently (combining Venus and Gemini energies, but for whatever the traits of the specific house were.)
If someone was born with Gemini in the 5th house and Venus in Aries, then they have none of the above scenario in their lifelong personality. They also don’t have it in their current temporary horoscope. In the current temporary transit, Venus in Gemini will combine those same Venus and Gemini traits/energies for them, but it would be in the 5th house areas of their life, just temporarily while that transit happened.
Here is a picture of a standard zodiac chart with the houses, sign rulers of that house, and symbols. You can compare it to my birth chart earlier in the article and see how mine is different from the “standard”, as many people’s are, since stuff is always moving in the sky. But you can use the below pic as a learning tool for all the lessons I shared above.
**Special Tip** - What astro apps should I use?:
The astrology apps you use are important. CoStar seems to be the most popular amongst people I talk to. I personally don’t use CoStar because I think it makes astrology more confusing. They use a house system called “placidus”. I am not going to get into what that means, because it is beyond basic beginner level information that frankly even I don’t understand it.
Here is what I will say about house systems—I find CoStar’s “placidus” system to make it more complicated and confusing, especially for beginner level. And I have found the “whole” house system to be more accurate (for me personally), and it lends itself so much more to easier learning. As such, I recommend Chani Nicholas’ app - CHANI, because she uses “whole” house system, and it is way more simple and easy to learn off of. Chani’s app has a free version with limited info and a paid version with a lot more info. I think beginners can get a lot out of the free limited version when beginning their learning journey.
It’s my understanding that CoStar does other cool things that are more simple, and there is a lot you can get out of it. So, I am not saying not to use it. I am just saying it will probably be a confusing place to try to learn and get a better understanding. But, they are an accurate and reputable app.
Apps that are not accurate and reputable? Any that use AI. Please please please steer clear of these. With AI on the rise and astrology becoming trendier by the day, a lot of astro AI apps are hitting the market. They totally suck. They are completely wrong and inaccurate. I downloaded one for literally one day and I was sending it corrections for about 85% of what it was telling me. You will get completely wrong information and will be so confused.
Ok y’all. That’s it for this one. I am at a point in writing this where I can’t see straight, and I am not sure if anything makes sense anymore. Please, please, please I beg you to comment or email me if something doesn’t make sense or looks weird. I cannot possibly comb over this piece anymore today. Let me know and I will revisit it and make updates. Again, this is a “living” document that I will make edits to, and you can come back and reference. Please don’t feel like this should all make perfect sense in one read. Take it in sections. Come back to it.
Believe it or not, I have lots more “basics” to teach you. This felt like more than enough for the first lesson, though. Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments. And I really look forward to sharing more info with you in future installments.
In the next one, among other things, I want to talk about the 4 elements that signs are categorized into (Fire, Earth, Air and Water), as well as the 3 placements they are categorized into (Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable), and how those all match up with the traits, as well. These further descriptors add to it all making a lot more sense. I find having these additional descriptors make it even easier to understand, as it adds more detail and classification to the whole picture.
Oh look! I offer various services listed below to earn money (because I am a Venus in Gemini in the 2nd house). Email krista.m.atkinson@gmail.com for any of these services.
1 - The Love and Accept the Sh*t Outta Yourself workshop - a very in-depth, personalized, workshop that includes chakra work, guided meditation, your personal astro chart reading, and a tarot reading all decided to help you love and accept yourself more. 2.5hrs session - $175 (many hours of work put in prior to session). More details here.
2 - Custom, personalized, guided meditation recordings - You tell me exactly what you are and aren’t looking for, and I will create 2 customized, personalized recorded meditations just for you! You will get a 15 minute version and a 5 minute version. That way, you can pick and choose depending on your mood and time constraints that day. Two bespoke meditations recorded and sent directly to you for $30! More details here.
3 - Venus Retrograde Reading - for your personal astrological chart for 45 mins = $35. Additional add on 15 minute short tarot reading for your Venus Rx = $10. (And, if you’re a paid subscriber to my Substack, your Venus Rx reading is free if you want one. Just hit me up. Thank you for your support!)
4 - Pluto in Aquarius Reading - for your personal astrological chart for 45 mins = $35. Additional add on 15 minute short tarot reading for your Venus Rx = $10. (And, if you’re a paid subscriber to my Substack, your Venus Rx reading is free if you want one. Just hit me up. Thank you for your support!)
5 - Personal Astrology Chart Reading - taking just the astro chart section out of the Love and Accept the Sh*t Outta Yourself workshop, and having a 1.5 hour session with you about your Big 3 placements = $75.
6 - Custom Astrology Session - where we talk about anything you want to talk about in terms of learning more about astrology, how current transits are impacting your personal chart, questions you have about your personal chart, etc. 30 mins = $25, 45 mins = $35, 1hr = $45.
7 - Tarot Reading - 30 mins = $25.
Also, this blog with the wonderful information I am providing is a free service (this particular one took me 2 days and several hours on each day to write). So, if you ever wanna “buy me a cup of tea” for sharing any knowledge you find helpful or entertaining, feel free to do so here.
Or, if you enjoy my writing so much that you want even more of it, you can sign up for a paid subscription below and you will receive even more posts from me. Plus you will unlock all of the older paid posts.
Additionally, it would mean the world to me if you would share my work on your various social media platforms. As you know, I am off of the Meta platforms now, and am working to build up my other platforms. I am a small-time creator who would love to build up my following and platform. Shares, likes, and comments are the life-blood of small-time creators.
And, if anyone is also interested in getting off of Meta and connecting in other places (or if you are staying on Meta but miss seeing my nonsense posts), there are other places we can connect.
Did you know that this platform, Substack, has an app called “Notes” that has a newsfeed just like Facebook. You should join and we should follow each other!
If you miss following each other on TikTok, let’s do it on RedNote instead!
I am creating content on YouTube now and when people subscribe to my channel it is incredibly helpful in working towards monetization. Plus, sharing healing content with you makes me happy.
A New YouTube Video I made to end this post on!
References (beyond my own knowledge) for this post were Chani Nicholas, Starseed-Twenty (astro age groups), and Google.